d) U. glabra e) U. procera (2 types) f) ? U. carpinifolia x
Wanstead U. procera
Rayleigh
Richens also mentions a possible U. glabra x U. procera from North Weald Bassett in the
text.
Richens lists the parishes where every group has been recorded from and also comments on
the distinguishing features of each type. He discusses the putative origins of the elms found in
Essex based on the data he collected on his survey. He suggests Ulmus carpinifolia (= U. minor)
spread out from six, mainly coastal, centres of origin in Essex. He notes a similarity between
these elms and those occurring in north-west France, inferring they were taken to Essex by the
Iron Age people who worked the Red Hills salt workings shortly before the Roman occupation.
Fig. 3 Representative leaves from elms recognised by Melville.
Top (L-R) East Anglian Elm (Ulmus diversifolia), Smooth-leaved Elm
(Ulmus carpinifolia) and Coritanian Elm (Ulmus coritana)
Bottom (L-R) Plot Elm (Ulmus plotii), English Elm (Ulmus procera)
and Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)
U. diversifolia, U. carpinifolia and U. plotii are all now considered to be members
of the U. minor group; U. diversifolia in the past has been thought to be a hybrid
elm. U. Coritani is now thought to be a smooth-leaved form of U. procera. U. glabra
and U. procera are recognised as good species.
All these elms are reported from Essex. Illustrations by kind permission of
Collins (From Melville, R. (1948) The British Elms).
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